TubeGradeTubeGrade
    Comparison

    TubeGrade vs Ahrefs for YouTube: search volume vs video research

    Ahrefs is a web SEO suite with a free YouTube keyword tool that shows search volume. TubeGrade is built only for YouTube: which videos beat their channels, which formats repeat and which thumbnails win.

    Quick verdict

    TubeGrade is built for…

    YouTube creators: outliers, formats, thumbnails, rankings, extension and MCP.

    Ahrefs is built for…

    Web SEO teams, with YouTube search volumes as a free extra.

    • Choose TubeGrade for YouTube research — $1 for the first month, then $12 a month billed yearly.
    • Choose Ahrefs if you run web SEO and want YouTube volumes in the same place.

    TubeGrade Pro pricing

    Try it

    $1

    first month of Pro

    For new subscribers on monthly Pro. Then $15/month, cancel anytime.

    $12

    a month, billed yearly

    $144 a year — 2 months free compared with monthly.

    Free plan, no card: 100 AI credits, 10 live searches a month, 11 free tools without signup.

    Try Pro for $1

    TubeGrade vs Ahrefs: feature comparison

    TubeGrade and Ahrefs features and prices, checked October 2026
    FeatureTubeGradeAhrefs
    Price$1 first month, then $15/mo — or $12/mo billed yearlyFree YouTube tool; suite from $29/mo
    Keyword researchKeyword Map — real YouTube searchesSearch volume, 170 countries (free tool)
    Outlier search3 ways: live YouTube search, niche research, our breakout database (Pro)—
    Winning formatsTitle + thumbnail formats, detected weekly—
    Similar-thumbnail searchVisual “More like this” + image upload (Pro)—
    Channel stats & rankingsFree channel pages + weekly rankings—
    MCP (Claude / ChatGPT)Free and Pro — 23 tools for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor—

    “—” means we didn’t find it on that product’s own pricing or feature pages. Prices last checked October 2026. Ahrefs pricing.

    Is TubeGrade a good Ahrefs alternative?

    For YouTube creators, yes. Use Ahrefs’ free tool to check volume if you like, and TubeGrade to see which videos on that topic actually win.

    Where Ahrefs is stronger

    • YouTube search volume in 170 countries, free
    • A full web SEO suite

    What you get with TubeGrade

    3 outlier search modesLive YouTube search, whole-niche research and our database of breakout videos — every video scored against its channel’s usual views.ThumbBoard + similar thumbnailsA board of winning thumbnails for your topics; “More like this” or upload your draft to find look-alikes and how they did.Title & thumbnail formatsThe title templates and thumbnail styles that keep beating their channels, detected every week.Keyword MapBranch one keyword into the searches YouTube itself suggests, as a map you can explore.Competitor trackingFollow up to 5 channels, refreshed daily, with their breakout uploads flagged.AI video ideasIdeas built from your channel, real search suggestions and proven outlier videos.Bookmarks & foldersSave videos and channels from the web app or the extension into folders.Chrome extensionOutlier scores, subscriber counts and channel country across YouTube — and YouTube’s own search suggestions in YouTube Studio’s title and tag fields.MCP for Claude & ChatGPT23 research tools inside your AI assistant, on the free plan too.Free channel pages & rankingsGrowth history for any channel, and weekly fastest-growing and breakout rankings by country.11 free toolsThumbnail and transcript downloaders, tag tools, keyword tool, outlier score checker and more — no signup.Free Outlier FinderTry outlier search on any topic without an account.

    Research YouTube inside Claude or ChatGPT

    Connect TubeGrade’s MCP server and ask in plain words: “Which videos about study vlogs beat their channel this month, and what do their titles have in common?” 23 tools — channel and video stats, outliers, title formats, transcripts, comments and similar thumbnails — on the free plan too.

    Set up TubeGrade MCP

    How we compared

    We read each product’s own pricing and feature pages and quote prices exactly as they show them. Where a site only shows a price in your local currency, we say so instead of converting it. Facts about TubeGrade come from our own product, and any screenshots are ours.

    We did not buy paid plans of the other tools, so we compare what they publish, not hands-on tests of their paid features. We re-check every price at least every three months. Spotted something out of date? Email support@tubegrade.com and we’ll fix it.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is TubeGrade cheaper than Ahrefs?

    TubeGrade Pro is $15 a month, or $144 a year ($12 a month), and new subscribers pay $1 for their first month of monthly Pro. Ahrefs’ YouTube keyword tool is free; its paid suite starts at $29 a month. Prices are taken from each product’s own site.

    Can I use TubeGrade inside Claude or ChatGPT?

    Yes. TubeGrade’s MCP server gives Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients 23 YouTube research tools — channel and video stats, outliers, title formats, transcripts, comments, similar thumbnails and keyword research. It works on the free plan too; tools use credits.

    More comparisons

    TubeGrade vs Keyword ToolTubeGrade vs Keywords EverywhereTubeGrade vs vidIQ

    Try TubeGrade Pro for $1

    First month of monthly Pro for new subscribers, then $15/month — or $12/month billed yearly.

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